One of the most iconic sets of Bollywood, Jodhaa Akbar, which is located in N D Studios in Karjat, caught fire on May 7. After the set was used to shoot Ashutosh Gowarikar’s directorial film in 2008 starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, it was opened to the public and became a popular tourist destination for film enthusiasts.

Talking about the incident, the founder of the studio Nitin Chandrakant Desai who had also designed the set, told BT, “Next to our studio there is a railway track. The workers there were clearing dry grass off the track. They put a fire to the grass. Since it was too windy, parts of the burning grass flew towards the set and it caught fire. Due to the lockdown there were hardly any people in the studio premises. Till the time the security guards realised, it was too late. Isme toh hamari koi galti nahi hai, lekin hamare aankhon ke saamne hamara sapna jalta dekhna pada.”

Ask him if he is planning to take action against those responsible for the incident and he says, “I am not in the mental state to think about anything on those lines right now. I am still in trauma. Jodhaa Akbar ka jo set tha woh bade dil se banaya tha. It was not a mere structure, but an emotion. This set gave N D Studios its identity.”

The film’s director Ashutosh Gowariker was one of the first persons to call Desai after learning about the incident. “People in Karjat have been giving us a lot of love and support. From social workers, the tehsildar to politicians — everyone did what they could to save the studio. Several fire engines came on spot very soon and without their support this would have become a major calamity,” says the art director and production designer.